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| Robotic wolves block Japanese bears' attacks |
A Japanese city is using robot wolves to deter electronic bears that are becoming increasingly dangerous in the countryside.
Takikawa, located on the island of Hokkaido in the northern tip of Japan, bought two Monster Wolf robots and knees them after spotting a bear nearby in September.
City officials said there has been no conflict between bears since the wolf robot was deployed.
The Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported that the number of bear sightings in Japan has reached its highest level in five years, and most of it has been in rural areas of western and western northern Japan.
There were dozens of attacks in 2020, two of which died, prompting the government to hold an emergency meeting last month to respond to this threat.
The beast wolf has four legs, a loose body, and bright red eyes.
The robot wolf is about 1 meter high. When a wild animal such as a bear approaches, the infrared sensor detects it and makes a loud noise, moving its head, eyes flickering red.
In addition to the sounds of the wolves, there are about 60 sounds, such as the voices and bullets of people, so that the bear does not get used to the equipment.
By 2018, robot wolf manufacturer Ohta Seiki has sold about 70 units.
“We want bears to know that human settlements are not where they live, and we hope that this will help create an environment in which humans and bears can coexist,” said Yuji Ota, president of the company.
Zhuchuan City officials said these bears became more active and dangerous before foraging for food and went into hibernation in late November.
According to environmental protection, the recent attacks by these bears were likely caused by a lack of nuts in the wild in Japan.
Bears eat nuts as part of their diet before hibernation, and bears enter cities in search of food that contains high-calorie nuts.
Deforestation and urban development have lowered barriers between bears and disease outbreaks, resulting in more direct contacts and attacks.